National

 Headquarters       October 21, 2016

MALDEF  Nonprofit  Center  
634  S.  Spring  Street,  12th  Fl.  
Los  Ángeles,  CA  90014  
TEL:  213.629.2512   VIA U.S. MAIL
Fax:  213.629.0266  

Atlanta  
Mr. Scott J. Svonkin
Program  Office   President, Board of Trustees
500  West  Lanier  Avenue   Los Angeles Community College District
Suite  908   770 Wilshire Boulevard
Fayetteville,  GA  30215  
Tel:  678.559.1071   Los Angeles, CA 90017
Fax:  678.559.1079  
Dr. Francisco C. Rodriguez
Chicago  
Regional  Office   Chancellor
11  East  Adams  Street         Los Angeles Community College District
Suite  700   770 Wilshire Boulevard
Chicago,  IL  60603  
TEL:  312.427.0701  
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Fax:  312.427.0691  
Re: Demand for Compliance with California Voting Rights Act
Los  Angeles  
Regional  Office  
634  S.  Spring  Street,     Dear Mr. Svonkin and Dr. Rodriguez:
11th  Fl.  
Los  Angeles,  CA  90014   We have received complaints from Latino voters in the Los Angeles
TEL:  213.629.2512  
Fax:  213.629.0266   Community College District that the use of an at-large election system for the
election of trustees results in Latino vote dilution and prevents Latino voters
Sacramento   from electing candidates of their choice. We reviewed demographic and
Program  Office  
1512  14th  Street   electoral information pertaining to your jurisdiction with particular attention to
Sacramento,  CA  95814   the prohibitions of the California Voting Right Act of 2001 (“CVRA”). Based
Tel:  916.444.3031   on our investigation, we believe that the Los Angeles Community College
Fax:  916.444.7207  
District is in violation of the CVRA and must convert to a by-district election
San  Antonio   system.
Regional  Office  
110  Broadway    
Suite  300  
The CVRA, California Elections Code § 14027, states in relevant part:
San  Antonio,  TX  78205  
TEL:  210.224.5476   An at-large method of election may not be imposed or applied in a
Fax:  210.224.5382   manner that impairs the ability of a protected class to elect candidates
Washington,  D.C.   of its choice or its ability to influence the outcome of an election, as a
Regional  Office   result of the dilution or the abridgment of the rights of voters who are
1016  16th  Street,  NW   members of a protected class…
Suite  100  
Washington,  DC  20036  
Tel:  202.293.2828   Latino residents of the Los Angeles Community College District are a
“protected class” within the meaning of the CVRA. U.S. Census population
data shows that Latinos constitute 36% of the citizen voting age population of
your district. However, it appears that there is only one Latino member of the

  The  Latino  Legal  Voice  for  Civil  Rights  in  America  

www.maldef.org
 
Mr. Scott J. Svonkin October 21, 2016
Dr. Francisco C. Rodriguez

seven-member Board of Trustees, Ernest H. Moreno. Based on our review of election

returns and demographic information, we believe that the lack of success of Latino
candidates results from the inability of Latino voters to elect candidates of choice due to
racially polarized voting among the electorate, and that continued use of at-large
elections therefore violates the CVRA. We demand that the Board convert its at-large
election system to a district-based electoral system under Education Code § 5019.

We request your response to this demand by November 4, 2016. In the absence

of a satisfactory response, our clients will be forced to seek judicial relief in the form of
an action to obtain an order converting the election system from at-large to by-district,
together with other relief provided for in the CVRA, including an award of litigation and
expert witness costs, and attorneys’ fees. The District can avoid the imposition of a
judicially-mandated plan, including district maps designed or approved by the Court, by
taking appropriate action without the filing of litigation.

We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Matthew J. Barragan
Staff Attorney
MALDEF

MJB/yp

cc: Sydney K. Kamlager, First Vice President (via U.S. mail)

Mike Fong, Second Vice President (via U.S. mail)
Mike Eng, Board Member (via U.S. mail)
Andra Hoffman, Board Member (via U.S. mail)
Ernest H. Moreno, Board Member (via U.S. mail)
Nancy Pearlman, Board Member (via U.S. mail)

    The  Latino  Legal  Voice  for  Civil  Rights  in  America  

www.maldef.org